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NOTICE REGARDING COVID-19 - Updated 27/04/2020

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We have put measures in place to try and avoid the people we support or anyone who works for us from contracting or indeed spreading this virus. This is absolutely vital as many of the people we support would be extremely vulnerable to the disease due to pre-existing and underlying health problems.

At this point the risk of some of our staff and the people we support being affected is very high especially because we provide a public service with staff coming in and out of the homes to deliver care which cannot be avoided. However we endeavour to make sure the risk is kept minimal where possible to make sure the people within our services and the staff are kept safe and well.

We would ask relatives and other visitors not to visit at this time in line with government guidelines on social distancing, especially due to the vulnerability of the people we support within our services. However, we have put the following measures in place in all of our services for all staff, and only in exceptional circumstances visits from family members:

Establish whether they have been in contact with anyone within their own household who is displaying the recognised symptoms such as high temperature, sore throat or continuous cough, or have been in contact with anyone who have been tested positive for COVID-19?

Establish whether they are presenting the symptoms of COVID-19?

Conduct temperature tests on each and every person before being allowed to enter the services.

Visits made to the home are only made where absolutely necessary and when staff are attending shift.

In exceptional circumstances only when visits to a person we support are made, the visit must be carried out in the persons own bedroom and access to any other areas of the home are prohibited.

Where people meet any of the criterion, we are instructing them to self-isolate and not enter the services.

We would never usually deter family visits or reduce contact in any way between relatives but we hope that it is fully understood that we are trying very hard to safeguard the people in our care.

Where families are not able to see each other for a period of time, the manager and staff will agree with families how contact can best be maintained between themselves and their relatives during this time, such as phone calls, face time, skype or whatever works best for them. We are also maintaining regular communication between relatives and the people we support by writing to them to keep them up to date on what measures we have put in place to protect everyone. We also have our own Facebook page where daily updates on activities and events throughout the homes are posted to keep families and friends informed of what we are doing. Please do take a look and follow us to recieve these regualr updates.

At Dolphin Homes we have our own COVID-19 project plan which is being headed by a Senior Manager during the week and then overseen on weekends by a robust Manager and Senior Manager. We meet and review this daily at the moment as things are changing very quickly and we need to be able to respond accordingly.

Each home has reviewed their contingency plans which now take into account the potential full impact of this situation on issues such as staffing, supplies and access to medical assistance when required.

We have assessed all the people we support using a traffic light system that means we are clear about who is the most vulnerable.

We hope that we can maintain a safe environment for everyone for as long as possible and minimise the impact of this pandemic, but these are extraordinary circumstances and we very much appreciate your support and cooperation at this time. Dolphin Homes will be monitoring and implementing changes daily as they happen with guidance from the Government and following their recommendations where needed.

Thank you to our fantastic staff!

We just wanted to say an almighty thanks to all our staff who have been doing an outstanding job during this unprecedented time of crisis. Our staff are a true credit to our profession because they are coming to work, showing real commitment, supporting each other with good humor and comradery. They absolutely deserve the status they have as Key Workers by society and the Government at this time.

Health and Social Care Workers have a genuine vocation and a long history of putting others first and protecting the sick and vulnerable, and never has there been a time when they have been so widely recognized and saluted and never has it been so widely deserved.

We respect and thank you for all that you do. Working together we will do our level best to keep others safe and healthy.

Best wishes to you all.

National Care Force

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